Consumer tablets come to market extremely fast and leave even faster. While useful, and sometimes even vital, for the operation of many businesses, it’s costly to have to replace outdated technology every few years. Rugged tablets help ease that trouble.
Consumer Tablet Lifespan
Consumer technology is known for its fast turnaround and short lifespan. A new tablet or iPad will come to market and revolutionize it with stunning new features, graphics, or design. Two years later, the technology is already reaching its end of life. For consumers, this is rarely troublesome. More times than not they have a single device and are able to easily replace it or simply do without.
For companies, such a short life is problematic. While consumers only have one device to replace, organizations can have tens, hundreds, or even thousands of devices deployed to their employees. Having to replace all these could cause a severe decrease in productivity. Workers will grow frustrated as they are forced to transfer from one device to another every few years. This will include having to learn each new device and its software.
Rugged Tablet Lifespan
Rugged tablets alleviate the strain of having to update technologies every few years. While consumer grade technology lasts only a short time, often only twelve to eighteen months, rugged technology lasts much longer. The average lifespan of a rugged tablet is closer to five years or more. This enables companies to maximize the usefulness of their investments and ensure that their workers are able to stay as productive as possible without the disruption of changing technology.
Service
When a consumer grade tablet breaks, it can be difficult to get it serviced. Often, they are either unrepairable or else it is cheaper to purchase a replacement. While consumers are only inconvenienced by this, companies can be crippled by such delays. With the purchase of a new device, the company won’t be able to utilize its tool again until the new one is shipped, and any software required is loaded.
While rugged tablets are more difficult to break, if the worst does happen, they are swift to be repaired. Extensive warranties and service agreements can often be purchased in addition to the tablet’s factory warranty. This outlines clear procedures and situations that are covered under the agreement, and enables broken devices to be repaired quickly and redeployed with as little downtime as possible.
Consumer technology can be a powerful tool, but with such a short lifespan, it can leave companies scrambling once the product reaches its end of life. Rugged tablets possess a longer lifespan and better service, allowing companies to stay more productive for longer.